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Monday, September 08, 2008

Random Thoughts

On the Mojave Experiment - Microsoft is running ads where they feature people who get an "Ah Ha!" moment when they realize they were just duped into thinking Vista is cool. I've been reading a lot of comments about the 'experiment,' and by far, the best comment is this one:

When I was a kid I didn’t like cheese. Mom and Dad insisted that I was just being stubborn and would constantly try and "sneak" cheese into foods that I was eating. I could almost always tell if there was cheese in my food and couldn’t eat it and sometimes got sick. Mom and Dad were treating me like a stupid kid that doesn’t know what he likes so we will trick him into liking it.

Well it didn’t work for Mom and Dad and I doubt that Mojave is going to change any minds.(found here)

On Midori - I've been reading more and more about Microsoft's "Midori" project, which is supposed to basically replace Windows at some point down the line. I wrote an article (here) for the K-12 Tech Blog we host, and thought I'd pass it along to you. Why? It popped in my head:

I admit it. I have not been following the latest gossip in the frontlines of Microsoft development. Frankly, I have too much going on. However, the newest buzzword from the folks in Redmond is "Midori." What is it?

Midori, rumored to be out in 2011, is a 'possible' departure from anything related to Windows. Sort of. It is supposed to Microsoft's way of leaving Windows in the dust and starting over with a new operating system that is NOT backward-compatible with previous versions of Windows.

So, you have thousands, tens of thousands, millions of dollars worth of software and man-hours tied up in your network operating systems and servers because you went with the 'big dogs?' Tough. Dump it and start over.

I understand the 'logic' behind wanting to make such a move on Microsoft's part - Windows has become so bloated, it is almost unusable (read, Vista in the early days). In an effort to keep everyone happy, Windows programmers have been holding on to legacy APIs, DLLs, and a varied hodgepodge of other acronyms in the name of customer satisfaction.

Starting over SOUNDS like a good idea. But, here's my issue with it... If I have to start over with a system that will not run my current programs (though there is talk of a Windows-like emulator that would TRY to run your current apps), then why would I spend a gazillion dollars to make that move?

Look, if it means learning a whole new OS, frankly, I've got my picks out there. I could switch to Novell-Linux or a variety of other Linux-based OSes. What difference would it make? And, if I switched away from Microsoft, I would open the doors on all kinds of free and/or open-source software that can do basically what I'm doing now.

Wait, that means I would have to learn new software. From the looks of it, I would be doing that in either case. I might as well save myself some money as this dog learns some new tricks.

On Google Chrome and privacy - This is a conversation that took place on a list to which I belong:

Their question:I know that Google keeps track of data related to searches and pretty much everything done on their website. Probably, for "marketing research," whatever you consider that to be (targeted ads, user specific search results, etc.). So anyways, if that's true, is this browser going to be watching what we do and where we go to let Google know that as well? I just wondered if this was a browser or a data collection tool...

My Response:There is no real privacy, just ‘perceived’ privacy. It’s funny to me that Google has the “hide your tracks” feature, yet it will collect data as you are surfing “trackless.” The only way to keep people from following you around the net is to stay off it. Otherwise, assume your surfing habits are being recorded and purposely surf to weird places just to throw off the data centers.

“Let’s see, this user is looking for a new car, a new job, and wants to know how to disassemble a UPS battery? Oh, wait, now they’re looking for plane tickets, for a dog show? In Tibet? With (insert name of starlet here)? And the price of eggs in China? And searching our search engines to see if we are searching for what they are searching for?” – data analysis malfunction… Danger, Will Robinson!On Waiting in Line - I went to the Post Office today at lunch time. While in line, I realized that I had forgotten to address the package I was sending out. I turned to the counter next to me (notice, I did NOT get out of the line to do this), grabbed a pen and wrote the address. When i turned back, the woman in line behind me had GONE AROUND me to the front of the line (I was next prior to her cutting in line).

There was already a customer being waited on. As I pondered my next move, I couldn't decide if I should just let her go or if I should say something, or just move to the counter when it it opened up, since I was supposed to be next anyway.

Is this a normal tactic? I mean, if I was in line behind someone, and they turned to fill out an envelope without actually getting OUT of line, I would let them keep their place. Maybe that's just me.

I decided I would proceed to the counter when it became available. The woman and I both took the first step at the same time, but when she saw that I was heading for the counter, she stopped, and WAVED ME ON, as if she were doing me a favor.On Replacement Parts - If you recall, I posted not long ago about a chat session I had with Dell. As a follow-up, it turns out the modem in the computer was also bad. When I received the replacement system board and power supply, there was a note inside (typed) that said I needed to verify that the current power supply was indeed bad before replacing it. I knew the power supply already in the system was GOOD - I tested it, and told the tech as much. He/she insisted on sending me a spare power supply. Oh well, the replacement went back unopened. The system board was bad, so the new one went into the system and the bad one went back to Dell.

When I got the modem, the instructions stated, "No return of damaged equipment necessary." Evidently, if a $15 modem goes bad, they don't want it! :-)That's all for now, but I'm sure there'll be more before too long!

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Popped in my Head is copyright David Henderson. Individual articles are copyrighted based on their publication date. All opinions expressed on this site are those solely of David Henderson and not his employer or associates.